SA国际传媒

SA国际传媒

Mastering data and EMS performance metrics with Mike Taigman

Exploring how data informs change, improves clinical outcomes and drives leadership decisions

In this episode of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence welcomes back data and EMS expert Mike Taigman for a deep dive into the evolving role of performance metrics in EMS systems.

Together, they discuss two key publications 鈥 by Kupas and Zavadsky, et al., and the White Paper from the National EMS Quality Alliance in Collaboration with FirstWatch, titled,

Lawrence and Taigman explore how data informs change, improves clinical outcomes and drives leadership decisions. Whether you鈥檙e a seasoned leader or new to the field, this conversation provides essential insights into how EMS organizations can better utilize data to elevate their services.

|More: 16 EMS groups publish joint statement on EMS performance metrics

Notable quotes

  • 鈥淭here is an old Palestinian proverb 鈥 鈥榊ou cannot fatten the cow by weighing it.鈥 Measurement alone doesn鈥檛 change anything; you have to take action.鈥 鈥 Mike Taigman
  • 鈥淛ust because yesterday was a bad day, doesn鈥檛 mean the sky is falling in.鈥 鈥 Rob Lawrence
  • 鈥淭his paper is what good looks like. It defines what good EMS performance looks like, and it evolves as the science evolves.鈥 鈥 Mike Taigman

Episode contents

00:16 鈥 Lawrence introduces the theme of data and performance metrics in EMS

01:15 鈥 Lawrence introduces guest Mike Taigman and recaps the recent EMS performance measure position statement

03:10 鈥 Discussion of the construction of the joint position paper on EMS performance measures

04:02 鈥 Taigman provides a historical overview of EMS performance metrics, starting with Jack Stout鈥檚 public utility model in the 1980s

07:12 鈥 Lawrence and Taigman discuss evolving metrics, from response times, to clinical outcomes, like cardiac arrest survival and STEMI measures

10:56 鈥 Taigman explains the role of process measures in driving improved outcomes

12:48 鈥 Discussion of new RFPs in California and beyond, incorporating clinical outcome measures into EMS contracts

18:32 鈥 Lawrence shares insights from his attendance at the Real-Time Crime Center Conference and how real-time data is increasingly integrated into EMS

19:03 鈥 Taigman introduces the work of the National EMS Quality Alliance (NEMSQA) and its role in defining clinical performance metrics

21:59 鈥 Taigman outlines the importance of performance measures and how they are used to define and improve EMS systems

28:04 鈥 Discussion on statistical process control and how to identify trends in data over time

30:23 鈥 Lawrence emphasizes the importance of using data to take action, not just to collect it

33:27 鈥 Lawrence and Taigman discuss data visualization and how it helps leaders understand trends and make informed decisions


ABOUT OUR GUEST
Mike Taigman uses more than four decades of experience to help EMS leaders and field personnel improve the care/service they provide to patients and their communities. Mike is the Improvement Guide for , a company which provides near-real time monitoring and analysis of data along with performance improvement coaching for EMS agencies.

He teaches Improvement Science in the Master鈥檚 in Healthcare Administration and Interprofessional Leadership at the University of California San Francisco and the Emergency Health Services Management Graduate Program at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

RESOURCES

Rob Lawrence has been a leader in civilian and military EMS for over a quarter of a century. He is currently the director of strategic implementation for PRO EMS and its educational arm, Prodigy EMS, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and part-time executive director of the California Ambulance Association.

He previously served as the chief operating officer of the Richmond Ambulance Authority (Virginia), which won both state and national EMS Agency of the Year awards during his 10-year tenure. Additionally, he served as COO for Paramedics Plus in Alameda County, California.

Prior to emigrating to the U.S. in 2008, Rob served as the COO for the East of England Ambulance Service in Suffolk County, England, and as the executive director of operations and service development for the East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust. Rob is a former Army officer and graduate of the UK鈥檚 Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and served worldwide in a 20-year military career encompassing many prehospital and evacuation leadership roles.

Rob is a board member of the Academy of International Mobile Healthcare Integration (AIMHI) as well as chair of the American Ambulance Association鈥檚 State Association Forum. He writes and podcasts for SA国际传媒 and is a member of the SA国际传媒 Editorial Advisory Board. Connect with him on Twitter.